Ghost in the Crowd
by Ruemaja
Summary: The World Ends With You JoshuaxNeku shounen-ai with spoilers. There was always that ghost in the crowd that Rhyme, Beat or Shiki could sometimes see.


**"Ghost in the Crowd"**

I haven't really finished the game yet. I'm just starting the final week with Beat but I got the gist of it I think. There are spoilers in the game. And this is shounen-ai. JoshuaxNeku. They don't belong to me.

I hope this one's ok. Thanks.

oooooooooo

**"Ghost in the Crowd"**

There was always that ghost in the crowd that Rhyme, Beat or Shiki could sometimes see. Shiki didn't know who it was. Rhyme didn't know who it was either but Beat recognized that ghost in the crowd wearing that familiar smirk on his pale lips and that arrogant stance.

And always, that ghost in crowd was always watching.

Not Beat. He didn't have any interest in Beat. They met once or twice before and he found him rather arrogant but special in a way. Not Rhyme because he would kick his silly, arrogant little arse if he found him looking at his sister. Not Shiki either though she did seem surprised when she saw him.

It was Neku he was always watching. Always close by, always near enough that their hands would've touch if they tried. Flickering in and out of existence, like a ghost, perhaps. He was no ghost though. But it seemed that Neku couldn't even see him. Couldn't even feel him.

And Beat, he would wonder why he couldn't. Out of all of them, Neku was the closest to that one. They've been partners for a week and he had saved Neku once before even if it didn't look like that at first.

It was all too confusing after all.

And that was how it really went.

Finally, one spring afternoon, they caught Neku sleeping with his head pillowed on his arms on his desk. They had all decided to attend the same school and coincidentally, all three of them, except for Rhyme since she wasn't in the same year, were all in the class.

They left Neku to go to the faculty room to give some of the papers back to the teacher and it took a bit so when they came back they saw Neku deep asleep.

But it was not the sight of Neku's sleeping form that surprised them.

There, leaning against the wall by the window was that person. And he was looking at Neku's sleeping face with an almost sad-happy face on his thin lips, pale white hands touching a stray lock of hair from the sleeping boy.

"Are you here… Joshua?" Shiki asked, carefully.

Joshua didn't answer. He was too intent on watching Neku sleep and Beat was about to yell at him but Joshua's words stopped him.

_Don't wake him. _He said. _He hasn't been sleeping well these days…_

He straightened up and turned to them, smirk on his thin lips.

_You have questions. _It was not a question.

Despite his appearance, Joshua is old, he's been the Composer for so long and watched over places like Shibuya. He could control Shibuya if he wanted to. Destroy it like some domino stack and let it fall. He had considered it after all. That was one of the points of the game in the first place.

If he won, he could destroy Shibuya. But he didn't. He changed his mind at the last minute though he never said the reason why.

So why didn't he? And did he want to destroy it in the first place?

He seemed to be able to read the thoughts in their head and he turned to Neku, oblivious to it all.

_Because there was no hope for it. _He said, simply and reached out to play with a stray orange lock of hair on Neku's head. _Because that's what he wanted. _He whispered.

"Why didn't you?" The words formed and escaped Beats lips because he could stop himself. They heard it.

_Because he wanted it. _He replied again.

When they didn't understand, the Composer, Joshua, smiled, sadly.

"Joshua…" Neku murmured in his sleep.

They all turned to him. Joshua ran his fingers though his hair, smiling sadly, pained.

_Neku…_

"Joshua…" Neku mumbled in his sleep. "Joshua…"

_Neku… _

"Joshua… why…?" He murmured.

_Why what?_

In these moments of half-sleep questions buried deep inside will be given light. Now was not the time for games and Joshua knew that. So he will answer truthfully.

No more games.

Playtime is over.

"Why did you… do all those things to me…?"

Why did you kill me? Why let me play the game? Why did you want my world to grow? Why did you give me friends? Why did you give me another chance? Why? Why? The Composer could hear the questions in those few words. The weight of those words. The Composer smiled and slowly but surely circled his arms around him, lips near enough his ear that his warm breath brushed against Neku's face.

_Because… _

Whatever it was that Joshua whispered to Neku's ear that afternoon would never be known to anyone but him and Joshua. And whatever it was he said made Neku wake up fast enough that he was able to see Joshua's smiling face as he slowly faded. Fast enough that he felt the warm, soft pressure on his lips. But not fast enough to reach out and touch him.

Beat, Rhyme and Shiki never saw him again. But Neku had always told them Joshua was just there because he could feel him though never quite see. But he was there. He's always been there…

Watching them….

Watching him…

Watching Shibuya…

Watching the world go by until the next game…

Watching like a ghost in crowd….­­

**END**


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